It would only be fitting to round out our month of music-inspired content with a nod to the audio format that is making a fighting comeback. Unlike other audio mediums that have eventually reached their inevitable demise, vinyl sales have continued to grow exponentially in recent years. For over a decade, a British company known as
The Vinyl Factory has been leading the way of vinyl production.
When the EMI vinyl manufacturing facility located in Hayes, Middlesex was scheduled to close in 2001, a pair of entrepreneurs, Tim Robinson and Mark Wadhwa purchased the plant and the machinery inside. Now operating as The Vinyl Factory, the same EMI machines that were used to produce classic albums such as Sargent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Dark Side of the Moon are still enlisted to produce premium vinyl today.
The Vinyl Factory regards many of their releases as collectible art and specializes in the production of high-end limited edition box sets. The special edition box set of The Pet Shop Boys’ 2009 release,
Yes, was produced by The Vinyl Factory and consisted of each of the 11-tracks individually pressed on heavy 200-gram vinyl, a collaboration with graphic designer Mark Farrow, signed by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, and limited to a 300 copy release. This special edition box set initially sold at a staggering price of £300.
The Vinyl Factory presses over 50% of the United Kingdom's vinyl releases and the quality of craftsmanship that is given to each release places them in a league of their own. The Vinyl Factory's vision is one where the artist's canvas is not crafted for quantity, but one of quality and exclusivity. Watch the
interview of Sean Bidder, the Creative Director of The Vinyl Factory featured in the documentary PressPausePlay.
*All images from The Vinyl Factory.
